Editing Robin (character) (section)

===Tim Drake===
{{main|Tim Drake}}
[[File:Robin (Tim Drake - circa 1990).png|thumb|left|upright|[[Tim Drake]] in ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' #457 (December 1990), showcasing a redesigned Robin costume, art by [[Norm Breyfogle]]]]
DC Comics was left uncertain about readers' decision to have Jason Todd killed, wondering if readers preferred Batman as a lone vigilante, disliked Todd specifically, or just wanted to see if DC would actually kill off the character. In addition, the [[1989 in film|1989]] ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' film did not feature Robin, giving DC a reason to keep him out of the comic book series for marketing purposes. Regardless, Batman editor [[Dennis O'Neil]] introduced a new Robin. The third Robin, Timothy Drake, first appeared in a flashback in ''Batman'' #436 (1989) as a preadolescent boy, introduced by writer [[Marv Wolfman]], interior penciler [[Pat Broderick]], and inker [[John Beatty (illustrator)|John Beatty]]. Drake's first name was a nod to [[Tim Burton]], director of the 1989 ''Batman'' film. The character first donned the Robin costume, and became associated with the third version of Robin, in the acclaimed "A Lonely Place of Dying" sequel storyline, which culminated in issue #442, written by Marv Wolfman with cover art by [[George Pérez]], storyline interior pencils by Pérez, [[Tom Grummett]], as well as [[Jim Aparo]], and inks by [[Mike DeCarlo]]. In addition to establishing Tim Drake as a principal character in ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' and ''[[Detective Comics]]'', Lauren R. O'Connor argues that "A Lonely Place of Dying" served as the denouement of a transition from [[Dick Grayson]]'s "absent sexuality," which earlier incited reader [[Homosexuality in the Batman franchise|interpretations of homosexuality]], to definitive heterosexual presence as a maturation narrative. O'Connor offers multiple examples from this 1989 storyline, such as Drake's encounter with [[Starfire (Teen Titans)|Starfire]] and Grayson's heeding of Drake's concerns over Batman's psychology, to substantiate the notion of a heterosexual ''[[bildungsroman]]'' [[subplot]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=O'Connor |first1=Lauren R. |title=Robin and the Making of American Adolescence |date=2021 |publisher=Rutgers University Press |location=New Brunswick |isbn=9781978819795 |pages=50–54}}</ref>

The ensuing [[Tim Drake]] storylines, authored by [[Alan Grant (writer)|Alan Grant]] and penciled by [[Norm Breyfogle]], coupled with the 1989 release of Burton's ''Batman'', spurred sales of both comic book titles ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' and ''[[Detective Comics]]''. For the latter, Grant attested in 2007 that "when the ''Batman'' movie came out, the sales went up, if I recall correctly, from around 75,000 to about 675,000." 1989–90 was indeed the "Year of the Bat:" Capital and Diamond City Distributors reported that the ''[[Batman: Year One|Year One]]''-inspired ''[[Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight]]'' dominated four out of the five spots for preorders (''not'' total sales and second printings). The only exception was the third preorder spot, snagged by ''Batman'' #442, the conclusion to Tim Drake's "A Lonely Place of Dying" storyline.<ref>{{cite web |title=Comichron: 1989 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops |url=https://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/1989.html |website= comichron.com}}</ref> The "Year of the Bat" continued into the first half of 1990. Preorders for ''Batman'' and ''Detective Comics'' issues featuring a revived [[Joker (character)|Joker]] and [[Penguin (character)|Penguin]] began to compete with, and even edged out, the last three parts of [[Grant Morrison]]'s and [[Klaus Janson]]'s ''[[Batman: Gothic|Gothic]]'' storyline in ''Legends''. [[Todd McFarlane]]'s ''Spider-Man'' arrived in the second half of 1990, inaugurating six months of Spidermania (or Mcfarlamania, depending on the reader).<ref>{{cite web |title=Comichron: 1990 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops |url= https://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/1990.html |website= comichron.com}}</ref> DC closed out 1990 with vendors under-ordering issues, prompting the publisher to push ''Batman'' #457 and the first part of the ''Robin'' mini-series into second and then third printings. The next year, 1991, witnessed the ascension of [[Chris Claremont]]'s, [[Jim Lee]]'s, and [[Scott Williams (comics)|Scott Williams]]'s ''X-Men'' against [[Magneto (Marvel Comics)|Magneto]], as well as [[Fabian Nicieza]]'s and [[Rob Liefeld]]'s ''[[X-Force (comic book)|X-Force]]'', into the top of the preorder rankings. The only exception to this X-mania was, again, Tim Drake and the sequel to the ''Robin'' miniseries, the first variant issue of which garnered the third spot, firmly wedged between variant issues of ''X-Force'' and ''X-Men''. The mini-series pitted solo Robin against the Joker, in response to fan demands for a matchup since "A Death in the Family." The 1990s comic booming bust had begun.<ref>{{cite web |title=Comichron: 1991 Comic Book Sales to Comics Shops |url=https://www.comichron.com/monthlycomicssales/1991.html |website= comichron.com}}</ref> In a supplemental interview with Daniel Best, Alan Grant added that "every issue from about that time [after the 'Year of the Bat'] that featured Robin sales went up because Robin did have his own fans." Although both Grant and Breyfogle initially believed that their ''[[Anarky]]'' character could potentially become the third version of Robin, they were quick to support the editorial decision to focus on Drake. The [[Social anarchism|social anarchist]] duo adopted the character as their [[Anarchist economics|own]] in the early 1990s, during Grant's shift to [[libertarian socialism]] but before his late 1990s emphasis on [[Frank R. Wallace|Neo Tech]]. Breyfogle agreed that "it was a big thing to bring in the new Robin, yes. I know my fans often point specifically to that double page splash where his costume first appears as a big event for them as fans and I usually have to point out to them that [[Neal Adams]] was the one who designed the costume. The 'R' symbol and the staff were all that was really mine." In the "Rite of Passage" storyline for ''[[Detective Comics]]'', Grant and Breyfogle intertwined 1) Drake matching wits with [[Anarky]]; 2) a criminal and anthropological investigation into an apocryphal [[Haitian Vodou|Haitian ''vodou'']] cult (revealed by Batman, asserting anthropological and investigative authority, as a front for extortion and [[crony capitalism]]); 3) the murder of Drake's mother by vilified cult leaders; 4) the beginning of Drake's [[nightmare disorder|recurrent nightmares]] and [[psychological trauma|trauma]]; as well as 5) the perspective of a child of one of the cult's Haitian followers, unknowingly and inadvertently orphaned by Batman at the end of the four-issue arc.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Irving |first1=Christopher |title= Gotham City's Other Dynamic Duo |journal=Back Issue |date=June 2007 |volume=1 |issue=22 |pages=18–20 (with Daniel Best interview notes)}}</ref>

Tim Drake eventually transitioned from late preadolescence to adolescence, becoming the third Robin over the course of the storylines "Rite of Passage"<ref>''Detective Comics'' #618–621 (July–Sept. 1990)</ref> and "Identity Crisis",<ref>''Batman'' #455–457, (Oct.–Dec. 1990)</ref> with all issues scripted by Alan Grant and penciled by Norm Breyfogle. Story arcs that included Drake only in [[subplot]]s or featured his training in criminal investigation, such as "Crimesmith"<ref>''Batman'' #443–444 (Jan.–Feb. 1990)</ref> and "The Penguin Affair,"<ref>''Detective Comics'' #615 and ''Batman'' #448–49</ref> were either written or co-written by Grant and Wolfman, with pencils by Breyfogle, Aparo, and [[M. D. Bright]]. Immediately afterwards, the character starred in the five-issue miniseries ''Robin,''<ref>''Robin'' #1–5 (Jan.–May 1991)</ref> written by [[Chuck Dixon]], with interior pencils by [[Tom Lyle]] and cover art by [[Brian Bolland]]. The new Batman and Robin team went on their first official mission together in the story "Debut",<ref>''Batman'' #465</ref> again written by Grant and penciled by Breyfogle. Lauren R. O'Connor contends that, in early Tim Drake appearances, writers such as Grant and [[Chuck Dixon]] "had a lexicon of teenage behavior from which to draw, unlike when Dick Grayson was introduced and the concept of the teenager was still nascent. They wisely mobilized the expected adolescent behaviors of parental conflict, hormonal urges, and identity formation to give Tim emotional depth and complexity, making him a relatable character with boundaries between his two selves." In the ''Robin'' ongoing series, when Drake had fully transitioned into an adolescent character, Chuck Dixon depicted him as engaging in adolescent intimacy, yet still stopped short at overt heterosexual consummation. This narrative benchmark maintained Robin's "estrangement from sex" that began in the Grayson years.<ref>{{cite book |last1=O'Connor |first1=Lauren R. |title=Robin and the Making of American Adolescence |date=2021 |publisher= Rutgers University Press |location=New Brunswick |isbn=9781978819795 |page=54}}</ref> Erica McCrystal likewise observes that Alan Grant, prior to Dixon's series, connected Drake to Batman's philosophy of [[hero]]ic or [[Antihero|anti-heroic]] "[[vigilantism]]" as "therapeutic for children of trauma. But this kind of therapy has a delicate integration process." The overcoming of trauma entailed distinct identity intersections and emotional restraint, as well as a "complete understanding" of symbol and self. Bruce Wayne, a former child of trauma, guided "other trauma victims down a path of righteousness." Tim Drake, for example, endured trauma and "emotional duress" as a result of the death of his mother (father in a coma and on a ventilator). Drake contemplated the idea of fear, and overcoming it, in both the "Rite of Passage" and "Identity Crisis" storylines. Grant and Breyfogle subjected Drake to [[nightmare disorder|recurrent nightmares]], from hauntings by a ghoulish Batman to the disquieting lullaby (or informal nursery rhyme), "My Mummy's dead...My Mummy's Dead...I can't get it through my head," echoing across a cemetery for deceased parents. Drake ultimately defeated his own preadolescent fears "somewhat distant from Bruce Wayne" and "not as an orphan." By the end of "Identity Crisis", an adolescent Drake had "proven himself as capable of being a vigilante" by deducing the role of fear in instigating a series of violent crimes.<ref>{{cite book |last1=McCrystal |first1=Erica |title=Gotham City Living: The Social Dynamics in the Batman Comics and Media |date=2021 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |location=London, UK |isbn=9781350148895 |pages=36–46}}</ref>

In the comics, Tim Drake was a late preadolescent boy who had followed the adventures of Batman and Robin ever since witnessing the murder of the Flying Graysons. This served to connect Drake to Grayson, establishing a link that DC hoped would help readers accept this new Robin. Drake surmised their secret identities with his amateur but instinctive detective skills and followed their careers closely. Tim stated on numerous occasions that he wishes to become "The World's Greatest Detective", a title currently belonging to the Dark Knight. Batman himself stated that one day Drake will surpass him as a detective. Despite his combat skills not being the match of Grayson's (although there are some similarities, in that they are far superior to Todd's when he was Robin), his detective skills more than make up for this. In addition, Batman supplied him with a new armored costume for his transition to the adolescent Robin.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Greenberger |first1=Robert |title=The Essential Batman Encyclopedia |date=2008 |publisher=Del Rey |isbn=9780345501066 |pages=119–122}}</ref>

Tim Drake's first Robin costume had a red torso, yellow stitching and belt, black boots, and green short sleeves, gloves, pants, and [[domino mask]]. He wore a cape that was black on the outside and yellow on the inside. This costume had an armored tunic and [[gorget]], an emergency "R" [[shuriken]] on his chest in addition to the traditional [[batarang]]s and a collapsible bo staff as his primary weapon, which Tim Drake continues to use as the superhero [[Red Robin (comics)|Red Robin]]. [[Neal Adams]] redesigned the entire costume with the exception of the "R" shuriken logo, first sketched by Norm Breyfogle.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sawyer |first1=James |title=Robin Relics: Designing Tim Drake's Robin Costume... |url=http://www.1989batman.com/2014/07/robin-relics-desigining-tim-drakes.html?m=1 |language=en}}</ref>

Tim Drake is the first Robin to have his own comic book series, where he fought crime on his own. Tim Drake, as Robin, co-founded the superhero team [[Young Justice]] in the absence of the [[Teen Titans]] of Dick Grayson's generation, but would then later re-form the Teen Titans after Young Justice disbanded following a massive ''sidekick crossover'' during which [[Donna Troy]] was killed. Tim served as leader of this version of the Titans until 2009, at which point he quit due to the events of ''[[Batman R.I.P]].''

Following ''[[Infinite Crisis]]'' and ''52'', Tim Drake modified his costume to favor a mostly red and black color scheme in tribute to his best friend, [[Superboy (Kon-El)]], who died fighting Earth-Prime [[Superman-Prime|Superboy]]. This Robin costume had a red torso, long sleeves, and pants. It also included black gloves and boots, yellow stitching and belt, and a black and yellow cape. Tim Drake continued the motif of a red and black costume when he assumed the role of Red Robin before and during the events of ''[[The New 52]]''.

Tim Drake assumes the identity of the Red Robin after Batman's disappearance following the events of ''[[Final Crisis]]'' and "[[Batman: Battle for the Cowl|Battle for the Cowl]]" and Damian Wayne becoming Grayson's Robin. Following 2011's continuity changes resulting from ''The New 52'' DC Comics relaunch, history was altered such that Tim Drake never took up the Robin mantle after Jason Todd's death, feeling that it would be inappropriate. Instead, he served as Batman's sidekick under the name of the [[Red Robin (comics)|Red Robin]]. However, in DC's ''[[DC Rebirth|Rebirth]]'' relaunch, his original origin was restored.

In 2020s comics tying in with DC's ''[[Infinite Frontier]]'' era, Drake returns to the Robin mantle as Batman's primary crime-fighting partner when Damian goes on a soul-searching journey. Meanwhile, in his solo adventures, he goes on his own soul-searching journey, and reconnects with his old friend Bernard Dowd, whom he begins to date. Tim later [[coming out|comes out]] to Batman and is accepted. His solo series ''Tim Drake: Robin'' explores a young adult Tim living alone at the marina, developing a closer relationship with Bernard, and adopting his own crime-fighting partner in the form of Sparrow (Darcy Thomas), a former member of the ''[[We Are Robin]]'' movement.